Osteoporosis is an emerging crisis in APAC: Report

Key findings from the report reveal that China will see 48.5 million people suffer from osteoporotic fractures by 2050

Number of fracture sufferers will rise dramatically in the coming decades

Singapore: A new report, launched by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), shows that osteoporosis is a looming crisis throughout the Asia Pacific, with the number of fracture sufferers to rise dramatically in the coming decades.

Produced with the support of an unrestricted educational grant from Fonterra, the report, Asia Pacific Regional Audit: Epidemiology, Costs and Burden of Osteoporosis in 2013 aims to generate a better understanding of the state of bone health in Asia Pacific and the impact of this growing health concern across the region.

Key findings from the report reveals that China will see 48.5 million people suffer from osteoporotic fractures by 2050; The number of Filipinos at high risk for osteoporosis will reach four million by 2020 and 10.2 million by 2050; Up to 90 per cent of Thais at high risk of osteoporosis are not identified or treated; One-in-four Indonesian women aged between 50 and 80 years are at risk of osteoporosis; More than seven million Vietnamese women will be at risk of osteoporosis in 2050; The economic costs of osteoporosis continues to mount; in Singapore, for example, the cost of managing hip fractures within the first year after fractures is set to skyrocket to $145 million in 2050, compared to treatment costs of $17 million in 1998.

Despite the urgent need for increased attention on osteoporosis risk, treatment and prevention, only four out of the 16 countries covered in the audit have officially designated osteoporosis as a national health priority (Australia, Taipei, Singapore and China)

Speaking about the results, Ms Judy Stenmark, CEO, IOF, said that despite the high prevalence and impending health crisis in the region, osteoporosis remains an under-diagnosed, under-treated and under-resourced disorder, placing a serious human, social and economic burden on all Asian countries.